After a local woman said she survived a six-hour sexual assault, she is speaking out about laws that could allow one of her attackers to get off the sex offender registry list.

The convicted man has served more than six years in prison and had to register for ten years, but now that time is up. The man has now petitioned to the courts to get off that list. WITN's Lynnette Taylor spoke to both of them to get both sides of this controversial story.

It takes a tremendous amount of courage for a victim to talk about their attack, even off-camera. However, Nora wanted us to show her face and use her name because she is so adamant about helping other rape victims know their rights.

WITN has chose not to share her last name for privacy reasons.

As for the convicted rapist, he spoke with us to share his story and his fight to get off the registry -- a fight he will soon take to court.

The now 40-year-old Nora was just 16 years old when two men changed her life forever.

"Two gentlemen came up behind with a gun on bicycles and we ended up walking approximately 15 miles," said Nora.

She said Reginald Holmes and Dwayne Davis approached her in Halifax County on their bikes, pressed a tool to her back, and told her to walk. She did, all the way to Martin County.

"And when they thought we were far enough away from town and away from everybody, they assumed to rape me in front of church," said Nora. "In front of the church sign. After they raped me, they told me not to get up, don't move, and they took off on their bikes."

She said the whole, terrifying ordeal lasted six hours. All the while, she thought they had a gun and she would die.

"My life got screwed up when I was 17 years old, hanging out with someone else," said Dwanye Davis. "I feel bad about the whole situation."

Now 39 years old, Dwayne Hosea Davis said Holmes masterminded the assault on Nora.

"Mr. Holmes was going to take both of our lives," said Davis.

According to Davis, he testified in court that Holmes told him to rape Nora or else Holmes would kill them both. Holmes is now serving life in prison for Nora's rape. Davis pled to a lesser charge.

"They asked me to testify on behalf of the state on what happened, and I told what happened to Ms. Nora," said Davis. "I feel bad, what happened. Like I said, I was 17 years old. I was a child."

After getting out of prison in 2001, Davis had to be on the sex offender registry for at least 10 years.

"Even though I felt I served my time in prison, I'm still in prison as of right now.'

So, Davis' lawyer filed a petition in Martin County earlier this month, to have Davis' name taken off that list.

"I'm just trying to better myself to get a job. If I come off it, it will help me get a job."

There are more than 15,000 registered sex offenders in our state. Last year, 213 of them petitioned successfully to have their names removed. That means they no longer give their addresses to the state and victims may never know where they are.

Nora said if she did not find out about the petition, she would not have had the chance to tell the judge why Davis should stay on that list.

"I can't ask, 'Hey, will you take me off the rape list?' It's unfair," said Nora. "He's going before a judge and saying, 'Please take me off the sex offender list.' Why? He shoudn't have that right."

Davis said he has not had a steady job since his release, mainly because of being on the registry.

"It's just hard," said Davis through tears. "I've always wanted to apologize for what happened. I mean, I was a juvenile. I've been trying to get in contact with Nora since I've been out."

Nora said there is no apology for what has been taken from her, adding if she has to live her whole life with being victimized, Davis should live with the consequences.

"If it was your daughter, would you want her sex offender to get off?," asked Nora.

Since Davis has been out of prison, he has had a few other run in's with authorities for simple affray in 2001 and larceny in 2002. Davis became a person of interest in the disappearance of Jalessa Reynolds, the 18 year old Halifax County girl who was last seen in 2008 and has not been heard from since. Davis was never charged in that case.

There is no date set yet for this case to go before the judge. However, if a convicted person's name is take off the sex offender registry, it still remains on the North Carolina Department of Corrections website.

UPDATE:

A rape victim's fight to keep her convicted rapist on the sex offender list made it to court.

WITN spoke to Nora back in April when she learned her rapist, Dwayne Davis, petitioned Martin County courts to get off the state sex offender registry.

Davis served more than six years in prison and had to register for ten years, but now that time is up.

Davis was hoping to get off that list.

On Monday that order was not granted.

Judge Wayland Sermons Jr. signed off to require him to stay on the registry.

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